


Winter's End

by TheFrozenAvatar



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Frozen (2013) Fusion, F/F, Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-16
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-04-20 23:07:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4805627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFrozenAvatar/pseuds/TheFrozenAvatar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trapped in an eternal winter, the country of Corona suffers with only one person to blame. Queen Elsa of Arendelle, known as the Ice Queen, has cast her magic upon the world. It'll take the very best to bring this winter to an end, and death seems to be the only answer. When Anna is sent to kill Elsa, she'll find out there is more to the Queen than what she's been told. (Medieval Fantasy- Elsanna)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Idea

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, this is by far not my first fanfiction but it is my first Frozen fanfic, and my very first posted here on AO3. Enjoy, let me know what you think!  
> ~TheFrozenAvatar

"The heart can get really cold if all you've known is winter"  
-Benjamin Alire Saenz, Last Night I Sang to the Monster

The relationship between the countries of Arendelle and the much smaller Corona had always been rocky at best. Arendelle sat just under the watchful eye of the great North Mountain, which supplied the country with rich fertile grounds and miles upon miles of silver veins just waiting to be mined out. The dense forests and rugged climates around the capitol city, not to mention the surrounding fjord, made the city the most protected and impregnable cities in the world. Corona on the other hand suffered through harsh winters with little crops and mostly relied on trade of livestock to keep their people fed through the rough seasons. They were seen as small and weak, and usually preyed upon by those who thought of them as an easy target to pillage, unlucky for those that doubted them, Corona was known for having some of the fiercest warriors to ever walk the earth. 

As jealousy and anger rose, trade between the two countries was becoming an increasingly difficult endeavor. With the recent passing of Arendelle's king and queen and the drastic weather change that has made crossing the sea's nearly impossible, relations have crumbled. Many in Corona have suffered, the backlash coming to strain those already left with little to their names. The people suffer and stew in their own hate, only to be spurred on by the nobles and royal's of Corona who lay their blame on one person in particular. Queen Elsa of Arendelle.

The newly appointed monarch was the target of most of Corona's unabashed anger and rage, it was as soon as the young princess had been born that the so aptly named “eternal winter” began to creep its way across the continent. In the twenty two years since, it had become common knowledge of the young queen's frigid powers. A witch, as some would call her, a demon to others, she had the control over snow and ice, enough to set two countries in the depths of a deadly winter with as little as a thought. She was a danger, a threat, as said by Corona's council, if she were left to live and rule their very livelihoods would be in jeopardy. Not to mention the livelihood of their citizens as well. At merely twenty and two years of age, this woman was threatening an entire country with extinction, and that had to be rectified. 

This is where we begin our tale.

King Leon of Corona sat surrounded by his council, listening as each and every one of them shouted and grumbled angrily at him. He could hardly believe he was in this sort of a meeting, planning the assassination of a queen, a young woman barely lived, because of a little snow and cold winds. There was no getting around it though, he had already tried on occasions to change their minds, that they could simply reason with the woman, but to no avail, his counsel, and his people, were convinced. The queen was to die to end this winter. There was no other way around it. They agreed months ago, this winter could go on no longer, and they were close to using the last of their supplies. With winter coming, and the grounds already covered in thick layers of frost and ice they had little choice. Rations in the city were dwindling, not to mention how the farmers in the wilderness faired. If they were to survive, something had to be done, and soon. 

"What do you insist we do? We cannot simply send troops to sea only to die in the storm, or worse, by the hands of that witch," councilmen Ingrum, a grey topped man of about sixty and one year's shouted above the rest of the men and women gathered in the room. He surveyed everyone around him skeptically, his dull eyes scanning over his now silent fellow council members. 

King Leon waited silently as the rest of them slowly began to offer suggestions. He looked over each council member, watching as they hunched and shivered in their seats. The hearth was alive and crackling near them, but it did little to stop the mist that formed with every angry word and breath.

"Maybe hire some assassin to do our work for us!"

"We could invite her over for a peace dinner, and poison her food," someone cackled. 

"Entice them, get them to attack us first, then they'll have no choice but to come to us to fight!" 

The king mentally shot down every idea that was supplied to him. Hiring someone would cost them money they didn't have, and poison was a coward's weapon, besides, the queen would have someone there to taste her every meal so the whole thing would end badly for them the second he hit the ground. Enticing them into a war was no good either. Corona may have some of the deadliest warriors around, but Arendelle's army was massive, and much more suited for this harsh winter, they would stand no chance, and they would still have to get to the queen after all of the fighting. 

King Leon put the tips of his forefingers to his temple and rubbed slowly. He was starting to get a headache. This was just one of many meetings that they had taken with such a subject, and the stress was starting to get to him. He knew if they didn't come to some agreement soon he would lose it. 

"I may have a suggestion," all voices faded and everyone's attention turned to the youngest member of the council. 

King Leon studied the young man thoughtfully, he had yet to speak in all the meetings that they had held previously to this one. Leon simply passed it off to inexperience or that fact that the young man was not a Corona native, but he acknowledge the man's opinion as if he'd served as many years as the rest. Dressed in thick wools and cottons embroidered with the sigil of his homeland, he could tell the boy was frozen to the one. Even if he would never admit it. He was a summer child, used to the warmth and prosperity of the Southern Isles, but he stood unshaken in this harsh wasteland determined to help, 

"What do you suggest Hans?" the king was very curious at this point. 

The redhead didn't cower under the weight of every set of eyes on him, instead he met Leon's gaze and with a smile,

"We send someone in, someone who we can trust to kill the queen without being suspected," murmurs from the other council members began to arise, but Hans wasn't finished. He had already seen the way that the king was about to dismiss his idea as foolish, "there is one other person gifted with remarkable abilities, someone who is sure to gain the queen's trust and be able to take her one on one if it came down to it".

King Leon's blood immediately ran cold. How could he even suggest such a thing!? The King stood angrily and faced the still calm and collected prince, 

"How could you even think such a thing, there is no way I would-" Hans cut in,

"I know how you're feeling, I understand the danger, but I believe that this will work". 

The king sat back in his seat, his face and neck red with anger, but the more he thought about it the more the idea seemed to make sense. He took a calming breath and then gave Hans a stern look, 

"are you sure you're willing to risk your fiance` for this?" 

Hans smiled reassuringly, 

"I have nothing but faith in her".

The king sighed and called a guard to enter. He gave one simple order, but it took everything he had to do so,

"bring me my daughter".

 

Princess Anna spent most of her time in the courtyard. It was one of her favorite places in the castle even when it was buried in over a foot of snow. She loved the way winter looked in Corona. Not that she'd seen winter in any other part of the world, or any other season for that matter, but it was definitely her favorite. The courtyard was surrounded on all sides by castle walls, giving way to the wilderness beyond, but that didn't matter to Anna. She had all the wilderness she could want right there. The entire courtyard was thick with trees and bushes. It had been a special request from her personally.

As a princess, certain things were expected of her. She had to be proper and petite. She was taught to be poised and perfectly manicured at all times, but all that to Anna sounded horrible. From the moment she could walk she had been different. Instead of dresses and royal balls she insisted on breeches and swords, and if she had grown up anywhere else she would have been forced into those very things she despised. Corona however, was different, and they encouraged her swordplay, and the will to fight for the pride of your country. That is just what Anna did. She'd gone to her father one morning and requested that she be taught the art of the sword. Naturally he didn't blink an eye at how unorthodox it would be for a princess to run around wielding deadly weapons. Instead he welcomed the chance to teach her himself.

To his astonishment however, Anna progressed far quicker than King Leon could have ever imagined, and soon he had to give her training over to a master swordsman. It wasn't long after that they discovered the small girl’s gift. It was subtle at first, almost no one noticed until a day of training gone wrong.

Anna struggled on that day. Defense had never been a strong suit for the young woman. She relied on her speed too much, her master had said, she would never win in a real fight if she didn't learn to defend. So he came at her. He ordered her to do nothing but block his attacks and stand her ground, and so she did. His attacks were precise and packed a strong punch, it was almost too much for the young girl to handle. When her master came at her again, this time faking to his right before bringing his sword around the opposite way she did the only thing she could think of, she swung her sword into his with all the strength she had. 

The end of his sword went clattering to the earth ten yards away while onlookers stood in awe. What had she just done? She'd cleaved his sword completely in two. Only swordmasters with many decades of training and strength had ever accomplished such a feat. While her master stared at his broken sword in awe Anna thought nothing of it, she threw her hands into the air and shouted about her victory. She paid no mind to the people staring at her. The strength the young princess possessed was only heard of in old stories of gods and dragons, things told to children in the night, but it was undeniable that she had a strength rivaled by no man. 

So here she was now in the courtyard, dressed in a thick woolen tunic and breeches, a long forest green cloak embroidered with Corona's symbol in gold flowing off of her shoulders. It was frigid, and even though Anna had become accustomed to the bone-chilling air of winter she found this cold to be different; comforting even. She waded through the small man-made forest admiring the way ice coated the branches and limbs to give the wood an odd glittering quality. It was peaceful. The calm and the quiet that came with the winter, and the way her breath puffed out in front of her face. She pulled her hood up around her face, the cold starting to make her cheeks go numb. She couldn't remember why she'd come outside in the first place she just knew needed to get away from the claustrophobic castle walls. The people, her father, and her newly appointed finance` counted among them. 

Just the thought of him made her mood turn sour so she hiked further into the trees, and tried to block out sight of the looming walls around her. Her marriage to Hans had been arranged, and no matter how different Corona was from the rest of the world's customs, that didn't save her from the fact that she' be forced to marry one day. They'd met a total of three times before her father decided to add him to his small council and move him from The Southern Isles to Corona. Anna did everything she could to avoid him. 

There was nothing wrong with him personally. He was handsome, smart, and witty. King Leon loved him, but Anna tolerated him at best He just didn't understand her. She was a free spirit, rambunctious and rebellious, and she liked to spend time in the stables helping care for horses while he liked to stay inside and play the perfect son-in-law with her father. Every time the two came into contact he insisted she act like the princess she was. She always firmly informed him where he could put his opinions. 

She didn't make it much further into the trees, the crunch of snow behind her had her stopping dead in her tracks. She knew she was relatively safe in the courtyard, only a select few were allowed to wander it as she was, but that didn't stop her from reaching into her cloak and gripping the hilt of her dagger. She listened to the footsteps slowly approaching her. There was only one person, she could tell by the sound, and they were close. She slid her back against the trunk of a nearby tree and waited,

"Princess Anna?" a man called.

Anna sighed.She recognized it as one of her father's guardsmen, she came out from behind the tree and presented herself. He stood, almost shaking in his light armor, only a thin cloak to keep out the cold. She cracked a grin and put her hands on her hips, 

"You're going to freeze to death out here, you know?" she teased. She knew all of her father's men, had grown up training with most of them. This one she knew as Allderad, he was about eight years older than herself, with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. He rolled those eyes playfully and shivered, but still managing to hold himself in formal position, 

"His Majesty has sent me to fetch you, Your Highness". 

She chuckled at his formalness, he was obviously trying to take his new position seriously. Maybe too seriously in her opinion. He turned abruptly and she followed him back through the wood and into the castle once more. 

Anna was led to her father's study. When the door closed behind her she was left standing with her father, and Hans. This wasn't going to end well she could already tell. Her father motioned for her to take a seat next to Hans, and she sat unwillingly, waiting for someone to begin talking. The moments ticked by uncomfortably. The room felt tense and Anna felt like she was suffocating under something unspoken. She wiggled uncomfortably in her seat. 

"Anna," her father began.

She knew that tone, she remembered it from when her father first told her she was going to marry Hans. She sat quietly, her heart thudding loudly in her ears. Just a moment later Hans spoke up, and explained that morning's council meeting, and the decisions they'd come to. Anna sat there in silence. She replayed the words over and over in her head. It was almost laughable how crazy the two of them sounded, she could hardly believe what she had heard. 

"You want me to...what?" her voice came out hushed, questioning and very confused. 

Hans placed a hand on her shoulder. She knew it was meant to be comforting so she resisted the urge to shrug it off. Her surprise overrode everything else. He leaned closer, and looked at her like she was a small child. She felt like hitting him, 

"You know what the Ice Queen is like. If someone doesn't kill her the kingdom will suffer, the people will either freeze or starve to death, we need someone to end this winter".

Anna's anger flared a bit,

"So why not send some assassin or something!? Why on Earth would you want to send me!?" 

King Leon took his daughter's anger in strides. He knew she would be angry, and she had every right to be, it was a lot to ask of her, but this was for the country, and for their people. 

"Anna, we need someone to gain her trust, we need someone with your...gifts," Leon talked calmly, there was no need to convince her, he knew she would go, he knew she would do this for Corona, "as Hans has said, the country is suffering, it has suffered for longer than you know, we need you to do this for us. All of us". 

Anna wasn't convinced. She narrowed her eyes at her father; what made him think that he could just assume she'd be okay with such a task? 

"Don't you have someone else, someone with a lot more experience in this kind of...stuff, that could do this? What made you think to send me?" Anna crossed her arms over her chest and looked from her father to Hans and back again. 

King Leon sighed, he didn't like the idea himself, to send his own daughter willingly into the hands of the Ice Queen, but the way Hans had put it to him before it made perfect sense. The redhead spoke as if he had read the king's mind, 

"You're trustworthy. The Ice Queen has been known to be very selective of the company she keeps, and she's especially wary of men. You are about her age, and if you go as if you're there to ensure peace between our countries she'll never suspect a thing". 

The three sat in silence again while Anna thought it over. They were right, crazy, but right. The people of Corona were suffering, starving, and freezing to death every day. She had the power to change that, all she had to do was play friend and diplomat for a while, and then......

The thought of stabbing someone in the back, literally, had Anna ready to decline. No matter how evil someone was, they didn't deserve to die, but the thought of the Ice Queen sitting on her throne haughty and happy while the world froze had her gritting her teeth. Anna could imagine the woman, a witch in all aspects, dark haired and ugly, how could she stand by and let her do this? Her resolve hardened and she met her father's gaze, 

"I'll do it".


	2. An Invitation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone, I'm so sorry that this took so long. Please ignore any grammatical errors for this is un-beta'd and I was in a hurry to post something for you all.

For among these winters there is one so endlessly winter  
that only by wintering through it will your heart survive.”

― Rainer Maria Rilke

The gravity of her agreement hit her early the next morning when the sun had barely risen above the horizon, and the sky was a pale pink and orange hue. Princess Anna awoke in her bed wrapped tightly in her thick wool blankets. She was sweaty and her chest heaved with the effort to catch her breath. She felt like she was being suffocated. The nightmare she'd just woken from was slowly fading from her mind, but she vividly remembered the icy chill that crept into her chest before she'd been able to lurch awake. She could recall the feeling clearly. Like the icy hand of death had crept in and plunged his hand deep into the center of her ribs before taking her heart in his fingers and squeezing. 

She clutched at her chest now while struggling to take steady breaths between the ice forming in her lungs. She'd agreed to willingly go to Arendelle, to live, befriend, and someday murder the Ice Queen herself. What had she been thinking? She let her father and Hans get to her head. Sure, she was confident in her strength, but she wasn't sure how right she really was for this particular situation. Anna sat up in her bed and untangled herself from the roll of blankets, she couldn't sit in her room any longer, the walls felt like they were looming over her They were taunting her as if she were a trapped rodent, like she would be as soon as she stepped foot off the boat in Arendelle. 

She had to get out of the castle. She threw herself out of bed and hurried towards her closet, making sure to stay as quiet as she could while she dressed in a thick woolen tunic, trousers, and tall winter boots. She kept her hair down and hidden under a thick cap. She then threw a hooded cape over herself and pulled her door open quietly. All of this took her less than five minutes. The creak her door caused echoed through the hallway and she cringed. Not even the housekeepers were awake at this hour, and she wanted to avoid as many people as she possibly could. She stepped into the quiet walkway and trotted towards the stairs. She knew that someone would discover her absence sooner than she wanted, but she had to get some fresh air, at least something to clear her mind of the stress threatening to crush her. 

She snuck out into the courtyard at the front of the castle and took a deep breath. The cool winter air did wonders to relax her. It was amazing how being outside always helped when she needed to think or get her mind off of something particularly painful. The sky was starting to brighten in earnest. It was fading from a pale pink to a brighter orange that flared over the horizon like wild fire. The snow glittered and crunched noisily as she jogged up to the front gates. There were two guards stationed at the castle's massive entrance. She’d known that they'd be there, and she knew they'd let her pass, but not without question. She slowed to a walk as she approached the two men. They corrected their posture as she passed, and she thought she was home free before one of them cleared his throat.

"Do you require any company, your highness"?

Anna stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face the men. The one who spoke was older, with a long beard that was starting to grey at the roots. She shook her head, smiling politely at him.

"That won't be necessary, I'll only be gone for a couple hours at the most. I just wanted to gather a few things in the city before I leave for Arendelle," she could tell by the way he was looking at her that he didn't believe a word she was saying, and could have mentioned the fact that she could have easily sent someone to fetch things for her, but she was the princess and her word stood far beyond his. He nodded without another word and she was free to turn and trot down the main road that lead into the capital city of Corona. 

Even as early as it was the city was already awake and bustling. People were scurrying about, pulling wagons and getting large sacks of whatever crop they could spare to sell at market. Anna loved being in the heart of the city. She loved interacting with the people, watching them, talking to them, and getting to know the merchants and the sailors. They all had amazing stories that they were happy to share with their princess. She hated being cooped up in the castle knowing one day she would be responsible for the lives of thousands. Shouldn't she at least get to know the people she would one day rule? That is exactly what she did every time she visited the inner city, she'd make sure to stop at local markets and buy what she could, even if it was something she'd never need or use, she'd happily buy what was offered if it helped the people. 

Anna sauntered down the cobbled walkway that lead deeper into the city. Snow had been shoveled and piled off to either side giving any passerby only a few feet of clear path to walk. This meant that she was forced to brush and push her way past people in an attempt to break into the open center of the market. Being the klutz she was though, maneuvering crowds didn't come as naturally as wielding a sword, and she managed to trip over nothing and fall face first into a pillar of packed snow. It took less than a minute for her to shovel herself out of the hard snow pile and to bolt upright. She was covered in snow and dirt, but she just looked around sheepishly, brushed herself off, and then continued her struggle through the crowd. 

She gave one final push and her struggle was over, she stumbled into the center of the market grinning and brushing more snow off of her cloak. She could have easily revealed herself as the princess, and demand that she be let through, but sometimes she liked to just blend in, as if she were like everyone else. If she were honest, this might be her last opportunity to enjoy Corona and it's people, and she wanted to make the most of it. 

The market center was buzzing and alive. Families scurried around herding their children from vender to vender. They filled their tiny arms with all they could carry to take home. Anna watched as a pack of children ran through the crowd screeching and following after a boy carrying what looked to be a bag of sweets. The princess giggled at the scene, momentarily forgetting where her little outing was taking her, she was entranced watching the children, running around without a care in the world. They didn't yet realize the dangers that were currently pressing down upon them all, or the sacrifice she would soon make for the sake of their future. 

She sighed, taking one last look over the crowd of people before turning and heading in the direction of her favorite place in the market. It was a small hole-in-the-wall pub with a little reindeer sign above the door. It was run by a family, a rather large one, along with their adoptive son, and to her father’s displeasure, one of her best friends. When she pushed the door open she grinned, it was warm and homey, with a fire roaring in the hearth to her far right. Only a few people were seated in the small dining area of the building. They chatted quietly over their mugs of warmth. 

“Princess Anna!" as soon as she entered the open space she was hit by three kids, each one dressed in thick winter wools of different colors. They were bright eyed and eager to meet the princess at the door. Anna glanced at the few people around her, hoping they hadn’t heard the children's outburst. She wasn’t exactly hiding, she just didn’t feel like drawing a crowd on this particular day.

Noting that she hadn’t been discovered the princess was all too happy to drop and meet the young trio with a hug. She pulled at their dyed woolen coats lightly, "are theses new? I like them," she grinned and poked the young boy of the group. His sisters giggled as his cheeks darkened. 

The three immediately went into the story of who's birthday it was, which led to an argument about how they were triplets and who was a minute or two older. Anna laughed and ruffled the boy's dark hair before silently slipping away from the three. She approached the pub's counter, greeting the woman behind the bar with a smile, 

"Hello Bulda, have you see Kristoff around today? I was hoping to see him before I..." she couldn't bring herself to say the words, she cleared her throat and forced a smile, "I'll be away on a trip soon, visiting the Southern Isles with Hans, so I thought I'd see him before I left," she lied. 

Bulda smiled her big toothy smile and cocked a thumb behind her, "he's out back with Sven, go on ahead dearie." 

"Thanks," Anna ducked under the divider and jogged to the back door. 

She opened the door, slightly caught off guard by the chill that hit her when she stepped out into the small courtyard. She found Kristoff hefting logs into stacks next to the building. He was a rather large boy, just three years older than herself, and as sweet as they came. Blonde and handsome, he was Anna's first and best friend. He always greeted her with a smile, and she would return it gleefully. 

They’d met when they were much younger. Kristoff was always doing odd jobs around the kingdom, just to help the older folks in the harsh winter, or for money to put towards his adoptive family’s business. He’d been around the castle more times than she could count, helping in the stables and the royal hunters, they were instant friends, still even to this day. 

She sighed, she would miss him, and there would be no telling how long she'd be in Arendelle. Or if she would ever come back. She shook her head, trying to rid her mind of any negative thoughts, she’d be back before she knew it, surely. The princess made her way through the snow, exactly three steps before she was tackled by a mass of brown and white. Anna squealed, knowing exactly what, or who rather, was slobbering all over her face. 

"Sven! No, get off!" Kristoff dropped everything he was doing to rush to her aid. He pulled the hulking hound away and extended a hand to pull her onto her feet. 

She was still giggling and wiping her face, Sven just wagged his tail as if he had done nothing wrong. Kristoff began a string of apologies but Anna just shook her head, 

“I’m okay, he’s just excited to see me, aren’t you big guy?” she scratched the top of his head and giggled when he yipped happily in response. 

Kristoff grinned and rubbed Sven’s ear, 

“I guess,” his voice was low, as if he didn’t believe her, but he said nothing more about it. “So what are you doing in the village this early in the morning, your highness?” 

Anna made a face, he knew she didn’t like it when he called her that, they were too close for such formalities. She rolled her eyes and kicked a patch of snow towards the boy. He simply let the powder fall around him, grinning smugly. 

“Can’t a princess visit her subjects without being questioned?” 

He didn’t look too convinced as he crossed his arms and studied her. She watched as the muscles of his forearms flexed while trying to ignore his stare, and failing. Instead of giving in to his questioning looks she sauntered around the small courtyard admiring his tower of logs, 

“I haven't seen you around the castle much lately,” she was grasping at straws, wanting to talk about anything but the real reason she came to visit. 

“I’ve been busy around the village. Helping a few of the men down at the docks,” he shrugged his massive shoulders, “mostly removing ice from around the shipyard”. 

His answer was short and simple, he didn’t want to make small talk and she knew it, he’d always seen right through her. She continued her circle around the yard and he continued his silent watch, it was only a matter of time before the silence that stretched between them was too much. 

“Why did you come down today, really Anna?” his voice cut through the icy silence. 

Princess Anna sighed and stopped just a few feet from him. Couldn’t she just ignore this whole thing for a while longer? She glanced his way, he was unwavering, and waiting patiently for her to answer. She blew a puff of air out through her mouth, watching as the mist formed and wafted away as quickly as it came, she turned back to him finally, just ready to get things over with.

“I’m going on a trip, and I won’t be back for a while,” her voice was quiet. 

He raised an eyebrow and dropped his arms to his sides,   
“how long?” he didn’t sound worried, just curious, but she wasn’t surprised, he didn’t know all the dirty details of what she was going to do, “and where?” 

She knew it would be better to lie, if he didn’t know that she’d be going directly into the home of the Ice Queen, but she had never been able to lie to him, he was her best friend, he deserved the truth from her, especially if this was potentially the last time she’d see him. She cleared the knot that was forming in her throat, she wouldn’t cry, 

“I’m going to Arendelle, I don’t know how long I’ll be there”. 

He was silent for two torturous heart beats, and then,   
“What!?” his voice echoed through the courtyard, birds scattered at the sound. “You’re going to Arendelle? Where the Ice Queen is, the source of our Hell, why in the world would you even consider going there?” 

Anna waved her hands, trying to get him to calm down, she didn’t need everyone in the kingdom knowing what she was about to do, 

“I’m going to make peace,” it wasn’t entirely a lie, “I’m going to end this winter”. 

That shut him up, he just stared at her, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. The silence stretched on and it was starting to worry her, even Sven began to whine. Kristoff finally made a move, he stepped closer and pulled the princess into a hug, she squeezed her friend tight, careful not to reveal how strong she truly was. 

“Just be careful,” he whispered.

“Alwaysl”. 

 

The thundering of hooves sounded just outside the castle walls. The sound echoed off of miles of treacherous snow. Two horsemen atop coal black steeds galloped through the ice and slush.They’d been riding for days through the thickening winter iwith a message for their queen firmly in their grasp. Their hooves scattered the powder in every direction, and as they approached the outer gates they slid to a stop, announcing their presence with shouts to the guards atop the wall. 

The massive gates creaked to open, revealing a large courtyard, fountains sat on either side of a path leading through the yard and into the castle beyond, both were frozen into wicked shapes, sharp and angled inward. Shards of ice as big as a man hung down from the overhanging wall, threatening to fall at any moment. 

A single rider cloaked in black and bundled from head to toe dismounted his steed and began to trudge through the calf-deep snow. He was let through the massive gates immediately. The message he carried was far too important. It took him only moments to reach the west wing of the castle and into the large throne room where he knew his commander awaited. He pushed the doors open. The loud echoing sounds of cracking ice and wood announced his presence. 

Two figures awaited him, one in particular had his hairs standing on end. He approached the icy throne. It looked as if it’d been formed completely out of ice and granite, its glittering brilliance had always amazed him, but now he had no time to admire it’s beauty, nor the alluring woman that graced it. He sank to a knee in front of her, and bowed his head in respect. 

“What do you have for me,” it was more of a demand than a question, the icy tone of her voice had his heart pounding and his head dropping another inch. 

He reached into his cloak to reveal the tightly rolled scroll sealed with the sigil of Corona. The figure that stood silently next to the throne suddenly darted forward to retrieve the parchment and deliver it. He kept his head down as the seal was broken and the letter was read. 

The silence stretched and the room seemed to chill over. He shivered even under his many layers. The queen stood and began a silent stroll towards him, the sound of her elegant boots echoed through the hall. It was only seconds and she was in front of him. His breath caught in his throat as cold fingers slid under his chin. He was shaking by then, either from the cold or the adrenaline that was rushing through him he didn’t know, but he soon found himself looking into dark blue eyes, and drowning in the arctic waters of them. 

“Inform the staff,” she addressed the woman behind them, but still looked straight through him, “we’ll be having company soon”.


	3. Chapter 3

“In your winter you deny your spring,”   
― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Anna spent the better part of the day in the city center with Kristoff. They gathered trinkets for Anna to take with her on her trip, Kristoff even bought her a small carved reindeer for her to keep and remember him by. Anna had really missed spending time with the boy. It had been quite a while since they’d spent so much time together. All because of something stupid. The princess sighed and let her mind wander back a few months, to one of the warmer days the country had experienced in a long time. 

Anna woke earlier than normal that morning, and it was probably because of all the noise coming from outside her window. She yawned and stretched her arms. She relished the feeling of her spine cracking and loosening up from a good night's rest. Anna rubbed at her tired eyes and looked around her room, something was definitely different that morning. The usual dark haze of clouds that enveloped her room was non-existent, instead, replaced by the brilliant light of the sun shining in her windows. That was enough to have the princess leaping out of her bed and to her window. The last time she’s woken up to the sun had to have been months before.

She pushed the glass up and open, and then proceeded to stick the entire top half of her body out the window to look upon the courtyard. The usual chilled wind had a warm hint to it, and coupled with the cloudless sky it almost felt like spring! She looked down at the people milling around the courtyard. They shoveled snow into piles around the exterior to make room for the large table a few of the castle staff were dragging over.   
“I wonder what’s going on,” the princess mumbled to herself. 

There was only one way to find out. She turned, leaving her window open because there was no way she was wasting such a beautiful day, and scrambled over to her wardrobe. She pulled on the first pair of trousers and boots she could find. She didn’t much care about how she looked at the moment, she just wanted to enjoy the weather while she could.   
She sprinted from her room, but was not expecting the person standing just outside her door. Anna collided with a hard body easily twice the size of her’s. Even with her supernatural strength she still had some clutzy habits, and the unexpected wall of a person had her falling on her butt. 

“Oh, Anna I’m sorry!” A young man’s voice came from above her. She recognized it immediately,   
“It’s okay Kristoff,” was her grumbled reply. 

She rubbed her sore rump and took the hand that was offered to her. He pulled her to her feet with no effort, and apologized once more.,  
“Really, I hadn’t known you’d come flying out of there like that”.

“It’s okay,” Anna laughed, “what are you doing out here anyway”?

All of his guilt washed away in an instant, and was replaced by something deeper. His eyes were serious, and he looked a little ashamed of something.   
“I heard that you and Hans are engaged now,” he said quietly. 

Anna wasn’t expecting that. She clamped her jaw shut. She’d pretty much ignored the fact as soon as her father had told her about the engagement.   
“Where did you hear that?” she asked. 

He was silent, and the ashamed look became more prominent across his features. He slid his eyes away from her’s and crossed his arms,   
“It’s all around the city by now, I heard it on my way to the pub yesterday.”

Anna put her hands on her hips and huffed. Leave it it to her father to announce unwanted information. Still, why would Kristoff be so upset about the news of her engagement?   
They’d been friends since they were children, and never once had Kristoff made an interest to who she may one day end up with. The princess cocked her head to the side, and reflected his poster,   
“My father made that arrangement, I don’t really have a choice in the matter. Why does that upset you anyway? It’s not like he’s gonna be around much, he’ll probably be stuck to my father’s side most of the time. We will still be able to hang out”.

Kristoff grumbled angrily and threw his hands into the air,  
“That’s not the point Anna I-” he stopped mid-sentence and shook his head, “just forget it okay?”  
He started to turn, to leave, but she grabbed his arm, maybe a little too hard because he winced and stopped dead in his tracks. She let him pull his arm out of her grasp, but he didn’t turn back to her.   
“He doesn’t deserve you Anna,” he mumbled, and then he was gone.   
The princess was dumbfounded. What was all that about? 

From then on he avoided her like the plague. Continuously making up excuses as to why he had not visited her, or why she could not come see him. It drove Anna mad to no end, and she still hadn’t figured out why.   
She was glad though for the time they spent together that day. It was around noon when her father’s men came for her. She knew it as going to happen sooner or later, but she had really wished it would have been later. Kristoff gave her a long hug, one with a tight hold that she was unsure even she would have been able to break. 

“Be careful,” he said. She nodded into his chest, and just let herself enjoy what could possibly be the last hug she’d ever get from her best friend. 

 

“Where have you been, we were worried you changed your mind about our agreement,” Hans wasted no time questioning her as soon as she entered the castle. 

She rolled her eyes, ignoring his incessant and constant jabbering as she called it. There was only one reason her father sent his men to fetch her instead of sending a message for her to return home. They had gotten word back from Arendelle. Anna was somewhat surprised that news had gotten back so quickly, after all, it was a day's journey by sea to the neighboring kingdom, and that was on a relatively good day.   
As she entered her father’s study she noticed something out of place. It startled her at first, but it was only after getting a good look at the thing did her heart begin to pound, and her palms began to sweat. Just there, sitting in the doorway of the open balcony, was an alarmingly large bird. It was feathered white and sat almost as tall as the princess stood. The bird was slim with long razor sharp talons that dug into the cement of the landing. But that wasn’t the most astonishing thing about the creature. It was made purely of ice! Anna had to look twice to really see it. It’s feathers were sharp shards of glittering ice jutting from a strong body of packed snow. It watched with white-glazed eyes as Anna stepped closer to her father.

King Leon tried his best to ignore the beast beside him, but that was proving to be difficult. As Anna stepped closer she never took her eyes off the thing, and he didn’t blame her. What kind of witch, or monster, could conjure up such a thing? He knew, of course, that it was the work of the Ice Queen. She had sent her own messenger with the news that she would be delighted to have the young princess stay as her guest in Arendelle. She wrote just how excited she was to have the princess there, and that she would send her own personal fleet to ensure the girl’s safe passage between countries.   
King Leon passed the letter to his daughter to let her read for herself. She made a face, but remembered the watchful eyes of the bird at the window. She couldn’t show her distaste in front of this thing. She was going under the pretense of peace, and she had to act the part. Even if it was for a walking ice cube.  
Anna forced a smile, and looked the creature dead in the eye,   
“Father and I will make the preparations, and I anxiously await the chance to bring peace to our countries”.   
The ice bird squawked and spread it’s wings. It gave a push that sent a wave of frosty air into the room, and then it was out of sight, flying to relay the message to it’s master. 

Anna let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding, and let the smile drop from her face. How was she going to get close enough to the queen with things like that slinking around her? Her father stood and pulled the doors to the balcony closed. He was silent, and Anna was grateful, she had no words to describe what was going through her head at the moment. Leon stepped closer to his daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder, she shook lightly, but said nothing to try and get out of going. She was committed, and she wasn’t backing out because of some snowmen. 

 

“So this is our Princess Anna,” the image of a young girl, probably only ten and nine years, flashed into her mind. The redhead stood smiling at the messenger she’d sent with her reply. She was small, but not fragile looking. No, she was a fighter, the queen could already tell it. Her fiery hair just another testament to that. The queen could see the light shadow of muscled arms underneath her tunic, and what an odd way this one liked to dress. It had the queen grinning. She let her powers vanish from the creature, he was no longer needed, and that meant he no longer needed to be. The bird squawked its last. 

It was dark in her part of the castle, that was the way she liked to keep things. The only light was a flicker from the fire she really had no need for. She was unable to feel the chill that encumbered everyone else. To her, the negative weather felt just fine, she knew nothing of warmth. She doubted she’d ever know. Even if she were to submerge herself in the hottest of baths she would only feel the slight sensation of the temperature difference, and it never did last long. 

Queen Elsa stepped away from the hearth, and out onto the open balcony. The night was cold and crisp, but to her it felt wonderful. The way the wind could slice its way straight through the fabric of her dress, straight to her bones. It made her feel alive, and gave her strength that no one would believe. She spun a hand absently in the air and snowflakes began to form. Just a few at first, and then thousands of them were falling from the skies. That was how easy it was to her. With a flick of her fingers she could freeze an ocean, but why would she want to do that with such precious cargo about to make it’s way across said waters. She let the snowflakes continue to fall while looking out across her city. Smoke danced out of chimneys, and the streets were emptied. All but the men at the docks. They were getting the last supplies ready for departure, to retrieve a Coronan princess.   
The queen grinned to herself and waved the snowflakes up a bit more. There was no reason not to give the girl a real look at winter in Arendelle. Besides, she was going to be there for a while.


	4. Chapter 4

“The water hears and understands. The ice does not forgive.”   
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crow

Waves crashed angrily around the harbor that morning, and the sky opened up to release snowflake after snowflake. Gray mist hung in the air as dark water lapped at the shore. It was frigid, almost more than usual in the early morning. Arendelle ships had been spotted two days after receiving Queen Elsa’s response, and since then the weather had whipped into a frenzy. 

‘Was she the one causing the weather?’ Anna thought. Maybe she knew of their plans, and created the storm to kill Anna before she could reach Arendelle! 

The princess stood with her father, Hans, and a handful of guards at the docks. They patiently awaited the arrival of the Queen’s fleet. Anna shivered and pulled her hood further down over her ears. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting when she saw the ships. Maybe she was waiting for them to be large blocks made of deadly ice, just as the bird had been, but as the ships approached the shore her imagination quieted. Three massive vessels advanced from the sea with the largest of them leading the way. It was equipped with what Anna could only describe as a plow; pointed metal that formed around the front of the ship. 

“So that’s how they do it,” Han’s whispered.  
Anna quirked an eyebrow at him curiously, “do what?”

Her father took her by the shoulder and pointed a large hand towards the metal equipped ship.   
“Arendelle ships have been fitted with special instruments to break and push through the icy waters,” he explained, “this is how Queen Elsa keeps up trade and military defenses”.

Anna nodded absently. She was barely able to pay attention, her eyes were locked on the ship. This Queen. She wasn’t much older than Anna herself, but she was already making military decisions. It blew her away, she herself was the heir to the throne, but she couldn’t picture having to uphold those duties for many years to come. She could only imagine what this woman was like. Another shiver ran up her spine, this time it wasn’t the cold, but the image that flashed through her mind. 

What if Elsa was her age, but looked like the witches from the old stories? The redhead paled at the thought of the queen with graying hair and sagging wrinkled fingers. She would sit in her throne surrounded by mutant snow creatures that would bring her human hearts to devour!

‘Okay Anna. You need to lay off the horror novels, and the chocolate before bed’ she thought.

She had little time to let her mind wander any further. The ships were in place, dropping their anchors and ladders. Her father gripped her shoulder tightly as the men began to help the Arendelley sailors tie the ships to the moorings. Anna placed her hand atop her father's. She didn’t know if it was for her benefit or his, but it helped. Still,her heart thundered in her chest like a herd of wild horses. She swallowed the lump in her throat just as a man came sauntering from the ship’s deck.

He was a small man. Maybe a few inches taller than Anna herself, and much thinner. He wore a thick coat of black bear fur complete with paw gloves. His head was covered in a mass of dark curled hair that bounced a little as he approached them. He was an odd looking little man, and what he was doing with the Ice Queen’s fleet Anna would never know. 

The little man stopped a few feet short of the royals and bowed deeply,   
“Greetings your Majesty, Your Highness. I am called Cecil,” his voice was high pitched, but friendly and genuine. As was the smile that graced his lips when he straightened. Anna scooted closer to her father. 

“I have been granted a message for His Majesty, as well as gifts of peace from my Queen,” Cecil beamed and waved his paw covered hand behind him. 

Anna watched as two hulking men hauled a crate off of the ship and towards them. When they placed the wooden box in front of her father Cecil pulled a piece of parchment from seemingly nowhere and began to read,   
“As a symbol of peace my Queen has offered a fine supply of wines and chocolates from across the globe,” the men began to pull more from the ship as Cecil continued, “as well as 20 foals, bred from our finest mares, as well as a hearty supply of grain”. 

Anna was speechless. Why would the Ice Queen want to give them anything? Maybe she really did want to bring peace between the two countries after all. Her father on the other hand did not seem pleased. His jaw was set, but he did not let on that anything more was the matter. 

Cecil grinned at King Leon,  
“She is excited to have the young princess as her guest, and wishes that relations between our countries are strengthened through this endeavour”.   
King Leon looked as if he wanted to strangle the little man right then and there, but Anna spoke up before he had the chance to do something he’d regret.

“We are very grateful for the amazing gifts, and I look forward to meeting Her Majesty,” she smiled as best she could.   
Cecil returned her smile and pushed the parchment into his coat,   
“Shall I show you to your quarters, your highness?” he extended an arm to Anna, who took it hesitantly. “You are welcome to come along and make sure they are acceptable, your majesty”.  
King Leon snorted. Obviously he had planned to do so with permission or not. 

They boarded the ship with Hans following along silently. Anna was led onto the ship’s deck and past the bustling crew. She was surprised to see many women among them as well. They were taken straight to the top deck where, customarily, the captain’s cabin would be situated. Cecil pushed the door open and let the princess take in her private room. It was filled to the brim with lush furs and satins. Candles flitted around the space, and around the large bed in the center of the room. It was piled high with pillows stuffed with goose down, and a fire crackled in a small hearth to the right. The entire back wall was a stained glass window that depicted a story of rock trolls.   
“My apologies that it is not much for now, but I assure you we have a proper room for you in the castle,” Cecil sounded truly apologetic. Even though this room was better than the one she had herself.   
Anna cleared her throat,   
“N-no, it’s just fine. Thank you Cecil,” he grinned at her. His viridian eyes lit up excitedly as if it were the first time he’d been thanked in his life. 

A whistle blew somewhere in the distance, and his grin fell from his face.  
“I am sorry your highness, but it is time to say goodbye”.

Anna knew it had been coming, but she had silently wished it wouldn’t. She had to say goodbye to her father. Possibly for the last time. He swung his big arms around her and pulled her into his chest. He had no words because nothing he could say would make things any better, so he just squeezed her tightly. When he pulled away there were tears in her eyes. He wiped an escaped tear from her cheek and smiled his best smile. He had to let her go though, so he stepped back, and let Hans step in. 

She wasn’t going to admit it, but maybe somewhere, deep deep down, she thought she might miss the annoying man. He offered her a crooked smile and a small bow,  
“Until we meet again, my princess”. 

The two men left her cabin, and in that moment she knew that this was all real. She was alone, and on a one-way trip into the lair of the Ice Queen. 

“Please make yourself comfortable your highness,” Cecil added new logs to the fire and poked at the coals, “dinner will be in the next hour. I will send someone in with it when you are ready”.

Anna’s stomach was in knots, and it wasn’t from the motion of the ship at sea. She didn’t know if she could eat anything if she tried. She just nodded and wandered over to the large four-post bed in the center of the cabin. She ran a palm over a pelt of spotted fur, astonished by how soft it actually was. 

“Mountain Snow Leopard,” Cecil’s voice came from beside her, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin, “just one of the many wondrous beasts that live in the Great North Mountain of Arendelle”.   
He sounded pretty proud of the fact. Anna admired the fur once more, 

“I love it,” she croaked. How long had she been so silent? 

Cecil smiled and crossed his hands in front of his body,  
“Well that is wonderful, because it is yours”.

“What?” Anna questioned. She was thrown off for a moment.   
The man chuckled. It kind of sounded like he was choking,  
“Yes your highness, everything in this room, and the room we have for you in Arendelle, is yours”.

“U-uh,” she didn’t know what to say, “thank you, Cecil”.

His grin seemed to twitch,  
“Do not thank me princess, thank my Queen. It is she that has given you these gifts”.

Anna nodded, but kept her mouth shut. 

Almost exactly an hour later there was a knock on the cabin door. It was her dinner. Brought in by two small women who looked eerily similar. They layered a small table with dishes that were piled with fish and potato stews, fresh breads, and a bottle of a deep red wine. The women did not speak. They only sat up her meal and left her to eat alone. 

At first she was unsure. What if it was poisoned? On second thought, if the queen had wanted her dead she could probably have done it by now. Besides, the smell was intoxicating, and irresistible. She took an experimental taste of the stew, and it was amazing! It seemed like it had been so long since she’d had a meal such as this one. With the heavy winter pressing down on Corona, food was becoming more of a necessity than a luxury. She pulled off hunks of bread to dip in the broth. She forgot every etiquette lesson she was ever taught. 

They’d been at sea for over twelve hours now, and the ship was beginning to wind down for the night. Cecil had come more than once to check on the young girl, he had even tried to convince her to leave her cabin, but she refused. It was just after sun-set that he made his last visit. He stoked her fire for the night and bid her sweet dreams. 

Anna slid out of the dress her father had made her wear, and into her sleeping clothes. They were an old pair of soft trousers and one of her father’s tunics from his younger years. It smelled of home, and she pushed her nose into the fabric and she crawled into bed. The spotted pelt was thick and warm, and as soft as a cloud. It wasn’t long before Anna was asleep.

 

“All things truly wicked start from innocence.”   
― Ernest Hemingway

 

Nightmares can happen at any time, and to anyone. No matter how big or small. No matter how powerful or strong. They can creep up on even the heaviest sleeper, and wrap their mind in shadows of death and doubt. Most of the time the dreams are just images conjured up by the brain, but sometimes, they are real memories come back to haunt you in your deepest sleep.  
There would be no escaping it, and evidently no sleep that night for the young princess. The sea was whipped into a frenzy, and waves crashed dangerously against the side of the ship. Anna rolled over in her sleep. She was sweating and thrashing her arms about around her. She’d never had a dream so vivid, or so full of death and deception. Her mind flashed with images of trolls and dragons, and of king’s and queen’s in the middle of a winter storm.   
The royals each held a baby in their arms, and both had small tufts of white hair upon their heads. One of the babies screeched and cried, but neither of the parents made an attempt to quiet the little one. Anna watched as fire engulfed the royals, and then two dragons emerged from the flames. Their scales were hard as stone, and as sharp as a sword. One was red, and the other was blue, but both were terrifying all the same. The sound of flesh ripping echoed around her, screams and the sound of a single crying baby lingered in the back of her mind as she opened her eyes.

Anna squinted through the darkness around her. It had to be very early in the morning because the sun had yet to break from the horizon. She groaned and pulled the layers of furs off of her sweat drenched body. The young woman panted, trying to catch the breath she’d lost during sleep. She felt as if she’d ran a mile. Her lungs burned, and she could feel the start of tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. 

‘What was that all about?’ she wondered. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a dream so terrifying. She sat in silence, just listening to the crunch of ice as the ship pushed through the sea. They must be close to Arendelle now. She’d noticed that the waters were thicker with ice and slush than they had been hours before. Her anxiety beat out her exhaustion and she climbed out of the great bed. Her bare feet slid silently against the wooden floor, and she crept towards the cabin entrance. She retrieved her thick cloak from it’s post and swung it over her shoulders. Anna pulled the cabin’s door open slowly and peeked outside. The deck was surprisingly empty, so she stepped out into the frigid morning air. 

Wind whipped her hair in every direction, and cut straight through her cloak. She shivered as she approached the ship’s edge. The water below looked inky black and perilous. Large blocks of ice were swept aside as quickly as they came. They were moving quickly, and they would no doubt reach Arendelle in the early hours of the morning. In fact, off in the distance Anna could clearly see the lights above the capital city with the castle just a small black outline. She was sure her heart would shatter against her rib-cage if it beat any harder. 

Maybe all this had been a mistake, maybe they really could make peace just by talking with the queen. Anna was filled with regret, and all she wanted to do was go home. 

‘It’s too late for that!’ she told herself, ‘you have to do this for everyone back home!’. 

She nodded her head to no one in particular, her brain was right! She had to be strong now, not just for herself, but for the country of Corona. She squeezed her chilled hands into fists and hardened her resolve once more, she would give herself two week to familiarize herself with the castle and staff, and then begin planning the queen’s death.


	5. Chapter 5

“What am I doing here in this endless winter?”   
― Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis and Other Stories

The sun broke from the horizon and illuminated the sky in wonderful hues of orange and pink. Clouds lingered on the edge of the world, but had the decency to keep their distance as the fleet approached Arendelle’s border. 

The ship was alive with movement. From the people keeping the ship steadily moving forward, to the crew preparing for landing. Men hustled in and out of the ship’s undercarriage, carrying loads of her things she’d insisted on bringing from home. Home was a far off place to Anna now. She was officially in the country of Arendelle, and so close to ending the harsh winter. So close in fact that she could clearly see the city now. They were less than a mile from shore now, and the closer they got the more nervous she became. In just a few short hours she would be face to face with the queen. 

Teal eyes examined the city as it grew nearer. Stone walls encircled a large bay and stretched out around the city; prepared to shield it from any outside attacks. The city center sat at the edge of the bay, and it sloped down into the dark waters, allowing ships and boats alike to come straight to the shore. Arendelle was truly equipped for the sea. 

The castle sat back beyond the city of large structures that perched close together, almost touching. Stone paths wove their way around buildings, and continued back to open up into the grand entrance of the fortress. Even from this distance Anna could see the snow that packed the ground, and the people that hustled through the weather without batting an eye. She could see the smoke that swelled from the buildings, casting a haze over the morning sky and giving the air a feeling of subtle warmth. She took a deep breath. They were only about a hundred yards from the dock by now, but she was still not ready for what was about to come. 

“Are you ready to go ashore, you highness?” Cecil appeared next to her. His eyes glinted happily in the early light of the day, and his dark curls poked out from under a thick cap.   
His attire was drastically different than it had been the day before. He now wore dark hosen that were stitched with an elegant golden thread. His top half was covered with a thin white tunic under a much thicker blue and gold leather vest; dark fur was sewn into the inner side. He had a dark cloak embroidered with a sophisticated design pulled around his shoulders, and thick boots that climbed up his thin legs. He looked warm and comfortable, and ready to present himself to his queen.   
Anna on the other hand was chilled to the bone, and she fidgeted more and more as the day went by. In an effort to make a decent impression of herself she’d donned a dress. Something she hated to do, but felt was the right call. It was a thick winter dress, with a tight bodice embroidered with spring flowers. The sleeves were long, and she wore hose underneath to keep the sting of the cold off of her skin. She kept her favorite green cloak around her body; the one with the symbol of Corona sewn into it. There wasn’t much she could do with her wild hair, so she settled with braiding it down her back, and pulling her hood over her ears.  
Anna attempted a smile which Cecil returned gratefully. She was far from ready, but it was now or never, so she nodded her head, took another deep breath, and let him lead her off the ship. 

They were met by a procession of knights in fabulous silver armours. Each breast-plate was engraved with the symbol of Arendelle and glinted like ice. They carried an impressive collection of steel swords at their hips, and immense shields on their backs.There were at least twenty five of them, and a carriage led by four magnificent grey draft horses. 

Cecil offered a gloved hand to the princess, and helped her settle into the carriage before climbing in behind her. Anna sat atop red velvet across from Cecil. The horses gave a whinnie, and then the carriage was moving forward. She could see that they were surrounded by men on all sides as they trudged through the slushed over streets.  
Villagers stopped and watched as they went by, all with wonderful smiles on their faces. 

“They have been told of your arrival, your highness,” Cecil answered her inner curiosity for her 

She glanced at him, and then back out at a group of children that had formed under an awning of a store-front. They grinned and waved their arms as she passed, and she offered a shy wave in return. The children erupted into a fit of giggles as they scattered. The princess was confused to say the least, but she shrugged it off. She had bigger things to worry about. 

The carriage was making its way up the cobbled path that led towards the castle now, and the claustrophobic streets opened into an expanse of birch trees. Branches expanded skyward, and were topped with thick layers of snow and ice that made the trees look hunched and old. Anna admired their height. They must have been hundreds of years old!   
She felt like she hadn’t seen a tree so large in such a long time; all of the trees around Corona had been chopped down to serve as firewood for the freezing townsfolk. 

The were closing in on the fortress by now. Anna looked out her window curiously, and witnessed the magnificence that was Arendelle castle as it sat in the foreground of a gargantuan mountain range. Her mouth fell open in awe. Cecil chuckled lightly. The looming castle was large, much larger than the one where she’d grown up, its walls were high and topped with battlements made for war. It looked as if it could easily house every citizen of Corona, and then some. A distance behind it sat The Great North Mountain, its snow covered mass glittered brilliantly in the daylight. 

The carriage moved directly through the outer walls and into a grand courtyard of cobbled stone. Two massive fountains sat on either side of the yard, but instead of spitting water, ice crystals seemed to grow and bend into the sky. They came to a halt between the two, and the men fanned out around the carriage. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest.   
Cecil gave her a pat on the knee and proceeded to open the carriage doors for her. He helped the shaking princess find her footing, and climb out onto the walkway. Men scurried around them. They began to pull her luggage from the cart and haul it away for her. She barely even noticed this, her eyes were locked on the large double doors that stood merely five feet away. A shiver ran down her spine, but she didn’t know if it was the chilled air, or the fact that the Ice Queen was on the other side of said doors. Her knees shook, and she nearly jumped out of her boots when a hand was placed on her shoulder. 

“My queen has requested you be shown to your quarters and settled in before your meeting,” Cecil was all smiles, as usual. 

Anna nodded absently. At least she’d have a bit more time to ready herself before coming face to face to one of her worst nightmares. Cecil led her up a small flight of stairs and into the mighty castle. 

 

Queen Elsa watched from her window above as the princess was led into her castle. The young redhead looked frightened and pale, but she erupted an emotion in the queen that she had never experienced before. Desire. A feeling of intensity that burned through her body like wildfire and leaving her tingling in such a delightful way. Elsa had examined every inch of the girl; from the light freckles that dotted her cheeks to the way her slender body moved as she walked. It was amazing how so little made the queen feel so….warm. That was the only way she could describe it to herself. The warmth that she’d longed for, but never felt, spread through her body with just a look at this princess. 

“Oh wow!” Anna could hardly believe her eyes. Her room was marvelous, and it definitely topped her ship cabin. The room as spacious to say the least. It was easily twice the size of her room in Corona, and covered in exotic furs and luxuries alike. A large fireplace sat off to one side while on the other was an entire wall of books; from floor to ceiling. She noticed that all of her things had already been brought into the room. Kristoff had given her a stuffed reindeer the year before, and now there it sat, on the biggest bed Anna had ever seen, surrounded by pillows and thick blankets. She ran her middle finger down one of the large posts of the canopy bed in awe. The dark wood held no imperfections; not a single notch or scratch. 

A large wooden wardrobe sat off to one side. An intricate design was carved into its face, and its cavity was stuffed to the brim with clothing. There was a door that connected her room to what she guessed was a private bath.

“Are you pleased, your highness?” Cecil had been watching her the entire time without making a sound. He just stood there with that eerie smile. 

She was more than pleased, surprised and even a little thrown off was more like it. She’d expected to stay in some horrid winter wasteland; cold and hungry, but this was amazing.   
“Very pleased,” Anna managed a real smile this time. 

Cecil returned her smile and waved a hand out into the hallway behind him, “that is great news!” Before Anna had the chance to respond two people were hustling into her room and grinning at her. Startled, she hopped backwards and examined the newcomers. 

They were dressed very plainly, leading her to believe that the two girls in front of her were not any bit of nobility. One was about the same height as Anna was herself, and she looked to be about the same age as well. She was much plumper however, and her hair was a short crop of gold that poofed around her rosey cheeks. The other had to have been a woman about double Anna’s age, she was a bit taller, and her green eyes were dull from years of hard work. She had long dark hair that hung limp at her shoulders and in front of her eyes. 

“This is Eleanor,” Cecil motioned towards the younger of the two, “and this is Ylva,” he smiled as the two bowed deeply. “They will be your help for your stay, your highness. So if you are in need of anything, just call for them”.   
Anna nodded slowly and the women scurried away. She made a mental note to try not to need anything. 

“As you are well settled in your highness, I do believe it is time to meet our queen. Don’t you think?” Cecil offered his hand to Anna.   
Her hand trembled as she reached for his. She wasn’t ready for this, but would she ever be? The queen may have given her all of these things, but she was still monster that had brought cold and death to the world. No matter how cruel and ugly she may be, Anna had to play her part, and gain the queen’s trust. 

‘No matter what,’ she vowed, and followed Cecil into the hallway. 

 

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.”   
― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

 

Anna was led down a looming hallway that seemed to go on forever. Paintings dotted the walls; some small little works of nature,and then come were large portraits of what she could only guess was the royal family. The portraits went back many generations, and held all very similar looking people. They were all thin and dark haired with chocolate eyes. All but the last portrait they came across. Anna had only a short chance to examine the painting as they walked by. There was a man and woman, both dark haired and fairly young, but what had really caught her eye was the young girl between them. She was astonishingly pale with a head of white-gold hair, and cerulean eyes. It seemed pretty odd, but Anna had no time to ponder the portrait for they had reached the end of the hall. 

Cecil pushed open a set of double doors and motioned for her to proceed before him. Anna hesitantly stepped into the massive throne room. A small gasp escaped her lips. It was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen! The throne that her father ruled from was as old as the kingdom itself, and just as beaten down. Every year or so it would be taken for refinishing, but it was nothing in comparison to what she had her eyes on now. The throne that sat at the head of the room was nothing in the ordinary. Not made of wood or leather, but of ice and stone that seemed to grow up from the floor itself. The barbed peaks reached towards the ceiling, and leveled out delicately at the seat. Jagged columns of ice erupted behind it and ran off to either side. 

She was so entranced in the piece that she barely registered that a new person had entered the room,   
“Do you like it?” came a female voice from behind her. 

Startled, Anna spun to meet the voice, and then stopped in her tracks when she saw that the queen stood where Cecil had once been. But instead of the dark, evil, and downright repulsive woman she’d envisioned; she was met by the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen.   
Maybe beautiful wasn’t the best word to use. Captivating, alluring, enchanting. Those were better suited to the masterpiece that stood in front of the princess now. Anna couldn’t help but stare as her mouth went dry, she was caught between intense attraction, and debilitating fear. 

Queen Elsa stood as solid and quiet as stone, or in her case, ice. Her skin was like porcelain, and lacking any imperfection that Anna could see from her place a few feet away. Her hair, like the little girl’s in the painting, was white-gold, but was pulled back into and elegant updo. It was then that Anna put the two together, the little girl in the painting was the queen! They had the same deep blue eyes, and the same full lips.  
She wore a formal dress of blue fabric that hung to the floor, but stopped just before reaching her throat. That however, was covered with a heavy leather collar, and a single pauldron on her right shoulder that connected with the thick leather straps of a gauntlet. The hide bore a resemblance to scales, but Anna couldn’t quite tell at the moment. She was still thoroughly shocked. 

It took her some time to realize that she’d been standing there in silence for a while, but the queen did nothing but raise a delicate brow at the young red head. Anna sputtered back to life and fell into a clumsy curtsey,   
“Your Majesty, it is an honor to finally meet you”. 

The queen finally smiled and took a few steps towards Anna. The sound of her boots echoing through the empty room had Anna realizing just how alone they really were, and how easily it would be for this woman to turn her into a human glacier. Queen Elsa stopped just before reaching the princess, and offered her gloved hand,   
“It is an honor having you here princess Anna. I do hope we can reach some sentiment of peace between Arendelle and Corona”. 

Anna eyed her outstretched hand skeptically, but slowly returned the action. She knew it would be rude not to. Almost as soon as their hands met the queen had her’s pulled away and her back turned from the princess,   
“I hope to see you at dinner princess”. 

And she was gone. Leaving Anna alone in the massive room to stare at her own hand in wonderment. 

‘What was that?’


	6. Chapter 6

“Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.”   
― William Shakespeare, Macbeth

 

Elsa hurried away from the throne room in the most dignified way she could accomplish. She all but stumbled into her office and pulled the heavy wooden door closed behind her. The thud it made echoed through the empty hallway eerily. She was panting, and holding onto her gloved hand as if it had been burned. In fact, she was certain if she were to remove her gauntlet she would find her skin marred from the invisible flames that had licked up her arm and into her very soul. 

It was a simple touch, and even with a thick barrier of leather between them, the heat that seared into Elsa’s body with such intensity shocked her. What was it about the princess that made the deep hidden part of her come alive so? Anna had been in Arendelle only a few hours, but had done more to ignite the queen than anyone had in her short twenty-one years of life. 

The queen took a deep breath. She tried to calm the quivers of energy that ran up and down her spine, and the all too-familiar tightening in her chest. She didn’t need this right now. Couldn’t handle an episode while the princess was so close; close enough that her scent lingered in the air around Elsa. There was no telling what she would do. If she lost control of her darker side with the young woman so near- Elsa slid to her butt. Her back pressed into the hardwood barrier, and her gloved hand gripping at the fabric on her chest. She drew in a shaken breath. Her head fell into her hands, 

“Control it,” she whispered to herself, “conceal it”. 

It was her personal mantra. The only thing that had seemed to work when times got rough. She’d repeat those four words until the darkness receded from her vision, and the trembling faded from her limbs. 

“I shiver, thinking how easy it is to be totally wrong about people-to see one tiny part of them and confuse it for the whole, to see the cause and think it's the effect or vice versa”   
― Lauren Oliver, Before I Fall

Anna found Cecil waiting in the hall that they had entered from. He smiled warmly at her, and proceeded to lead the way back towards her room. 

“What did you think of our Queen, your highness?” Cecil sounded excited to hear what she had to say. 

Anna remained silent. She didn’t know what to think anymore. She had entered the throne room in fear and apprehension, but now she didn’t know what to feel. The queen looked to be a perfectly normal, absolutely stunning, young woman. Not the old witch that Anna had imagined in the beginning. And that handshake. Anna’s hand still tingled delightfully from the touch. Whether it was from fear, or the raw power the queen held in her possession Anna didn’t know. All she knew for certain was that she had enjoyed it. In some twisted way. Her body craved another touch, just to feel that sharp tingle spread through her body once more. It made her sick to think it. 

Cecil continued to babble on about his queen, content to let Anna walk in silence instead of answer. She would have to rethink her approach to things. She couldn’t let her curiosity and her body’s unwanted desires disrupt her mission. 

They turned down the hall where Anna’s room was located, and Cecil began on another tangent. This one, however, had caught Anna’s attention. 

“Eleanor has drawn you a hot bath, and Ylva has already taken the liberty of preparing clothes for you to wear to dinner,” he announced. Anna’s head perked up and a small smile found it’s way to her lips. It felt like so long since her last warm bath. 

“Thank you, Cecil,” the princess said. 

Cecil shook his head and proceeded to push her bedroom door open for her,   
“As I have said before,” he smiled as Anna walked past him and into her room, “thank my queen, she has made all the arrangements for your stay”. 

She offered him a small smile, but remained silent. What could she say? Cecil bid her farewell, and trotted out into the hall. Anna sighed and trudged towards her private bath. She needed a good long soak now. She’d never been so confused in her life, but maybe some time to relax would help her mind to clear. She pushed the heavy wooden door open and immediately grinned. The room was warm and large. The tubs back home had been cast from heavy iron, and were packed together in one room. Here though, the tub was carved into the granite and marble floor, and it stretched over half of the room. There was a bench on the other end of the room, with a pile of neatly folded clothes waiting for her. She ignored them for now. She wasn’t exactly excited to force herself into another dress for dinner. Not just yet.

Anna slid her boots and tights off of her legs, followed by the crushing fabric of her dress and undergarments. She let them fall to the floor in a rather undignified pile. Her skin was left to meet the cool air around her, and she shivered briefly. She approached the side of the massive tub, and let a naked foot dangle over the lightly steaming water. As soon as her skin met the water she groaned, and submerged her body until only her head and shoulders were visible. 

Steam rose all around her, making the room hazy. The heat ran up her spine, and familiar tingles began to prick at her nerve endings. Anna clenched her eyes shut. There was no way she was going to keep thinking about the queen, especially not when she was naked and supposed to be enjoying a relaxing bath. But as the warmth spread, so did the persisting feeling. It began in her fingertips, and spread towards her chest. It lingered a bit around her heart, before searing its way to her stomach. She imagined the queen’s hands, delicate and refined, as they danced up the skin of her arms. The same quivering feeling sparked in her stomach, but it delved deeper, between her hips, along with the image of Elsa’s fingers following. What kind of feelings could the queen stir up if those delicate fingers were to-  
Anna sucked in a breath and plunged her head into the water. If only to distract herself enough to forget where her train of thought had been deviating. She held herself there until her lungs burned and screamed for oxygen. She emerged from the boiling water, gulping at the air greedily. It’d been a bit drastic, but her mind was clear of the offensive thoughts. Anna sighed and began to pull floral scented soaps through her hair and across her skin. She scrubbed at her skin until it was red and raw, and only then did she emerge from the wonderful heat. 

Along with her pile of clothes was a long thick towel folded up beside a silken robe. She pulled the towel around her shoulders. The room was starting to cool, and she certainly wasn’t dressed enough to keep warm. She dried her body and hair as quickly as she could manage, and then set an uneasy gaze on the clothes she was expected to wear for the night. 

To her surprise and delight, it was not a dress that greeted her. Instead it was a plain white long sleeved shirt, and a thick blue and silver doublet embroidered with a swirling design across the chest. It was accompanied by a simple yet formal pair of trousers and tall black boots. The princess smiled despite the situation. Maybe dinner wasn’t going to be so gruesome after all. 

Nervousness racked her. She wasn’t entirely sure why. She’d already met the queen, and deemed that she was not going to freeze everyone to death as they slept. So why was her heart pounding in her chest, and why were her palms sweating? Was it anticipation? Or maybe excitement? Gods, she hoped it wasn’t the latter. Anna pulled at the collar of her new doublet. She felt constricted, almost like she couldn’t breathe. She blamed her nerves. 

Cecil walked a few paces ahead of her in the direction of what she assumed was the dining room. He wore another ridiculous outfit, with tights and a cap that made his dark curls wind around his thin face. He was starting to remind Anna of a court jester. They approached another set of doors, but these were much less intimidating than the doors that led to the throne room. Still, Anna stopped just before Cecil reached to push the doors open, and took a deep breath. 

They entered the dining room. Anna was surprised to see that this room wasn’t large ad intimidating. In fact, it was about the size of the family dining room back in Corona. It was cozy and intimate. A large fire crackled in the hearth at the end of the room, and the table was filled with a meal meant for many. The room however, only held one other person. 

Queen Elsa sat at the head of the table, her hands were delicately folded in her lap. Anna approached slowly and examined the young queen. She was no longer wearing the thick pauldron about her neck, instead she wore a simple dress laced with purple and green threads. The sleeves cradled her slender arms, and the fabric of her dress hugged the slim form of her waist. Her white-gold hair was braided and thrown back over a shoulder casually. She was even more alluring than she was before. If that was even possible. 

Elsa gave Anna a small smile as she approached, and motioned to the seat closest to her,   
“Please, have a seat”.

Anna nodded absently and sat herself next to the queen. Servants immediately rushed to pile food in front of her. In the time it took them to appear, the were gone, leaving the two royals alone once more. Elsa chewed quietly at her food. She was regal and perfect even when doing that! Anna did her best to remember ever etiquette lesson she’d ever learned. There was no way she could embarrass herself in front of this woman. They ate silently for a while. The only sound in the room was the crackling fire and the soft tap of silverware. The silence drug on. It was starting to become a bit uncomfortable. 

“Are you enjoying your stay so far?” Elsa’s voice cut through the still room. 

Anna looked up from her plate. The queen had sat her silverware down, her hands were now folded together on the tabletop, and she was looking straight at Anna. The princess squirmed a bit under the intensity of her stare, but she met the queen’s gaze and smiled politely, 

“Everything has been wonderful,” she added, “thank you”. 

Elsa nodded briefly, she took a quick yet refined sip of wine, and then began to speak once more,   
“I have informed my council that you will begin attending meetings once you are comfortable here”. 

Well, that certainly took her by surprise. She choked a bit on her wine, and sputtered to regain her composure. 

“Why would you want me on the council?” Anna questioned. As soon as the words left her mouth her cheeks flushed with color, and she stammered out an apology, “ I-I mean, it would be an honor! I just don’t know why you would want me to-”

Elsa put up a hand to silence the babbling young woman. Anna snapped her mouth shut, silently hoping that she wasn’t about to become a human iceberg. 

“If we are to bring peace between our two countries, then we need someone who knows Corona, that is why you are here, no?” Elsa’s blue eyes bore into Anna’s. 

The young princess shivered. The temperature in the room was comfortable and warm, but the intensity with which Elsa looked at her had caused another unwanted physical reaction. 

‘No. That’s the opposite of what I’m here for,’ Anna thought, but she nodded anyway. 

“Good,” Elsa smiled lightly, and then continued to chew at her dinner silently. 

Anna sighed inwardly. She couldn’t help but think she’d been close to being found out. She just had to get through this dinner without embarrassing herself anymore. 

“To be alive at all is to have scars. ”   
― John Steinbeck, The Winter of Our Discontent

Dinner was quiet and simple. Princess Anna excused herself only a few moments after she finished her meal. She thanked the queen with a small bow, and the left Elsa to sit alone in the dining room. How many dinners had she had alone since her parents had passed? One hundred? Two hundred? Elsa couldn’t remember. She’d begun to count them the day after her parent’s deaths, but somewhere along the line she’d stopped seeing the point in it. The number would simply continue to grow. This had been the first dinner Elsa had shared with anyone in quite a while, and although it was quiet and awkward, she enjoyed it. She enjoyed the presence of another person her age. Especially when that person was the young and beautiful Anna. 

Elsa had never experienced such a pull towards someone. It was like something deep inside of her was screaming at her to make the princess her’s. She had a sinking feeling that was exactly what was happening. 

The queen pushed herself away from the table. Servants rushed in to clean up the meal behind her. She left them to it. She needed to be alone. The sound of her footsteps echoed around her as she marched towards her room. So many thoughts fluttered through her mind, so many questions and theories plagued her. She would have to look into some things later that night.   
As she approached her room she came across a young woman waiting for her. Her handmaiden was a woman three years her elder, small and fragile looking, with bronzed skin and a head of dark umber curls. 

“Camilla,” the queen called. 

The woman’s head shot up, and she scurried to the queen’s side immediately,   
“Yes, your grace?”

“Prepare a hot bath,” she bid as she entered her bed chambers. 

Camilla seemed to be lost for a moment,   
“a hot bath, your grace?” 

Elsa could understand the girl’s confusion. Usually her baths are drawn cold, the temperature is usually never a factor. That didn’t mean Elsa was going to repeat herself, she simply waved her hand in the direction of her private bath and Camilla was off. 

The queen took the opportunity to strip herself of her dress and undergarments. She wrapped her body in a thin robe and sauntered into the adjoining room. The bath was full of hot water, and steam flooded her sight, but she paid it no mind. She simply dismissed Camilla and then began to slip into the pool of searing liquid. The heat of the water did very little to warm her body, it was the building sensation that she had hoped for. Her spine tingled and quivered as she sat back into the water, and the way those tingles danced in her chest and through her stomach had her feeling things she’d never felt before. 

All she could think of was Anna, and the way the young princess had been at dinner. She’d been dressed in the doublet that Elsa had picked for her. Somehow the men’s clothing seemed to fit the young girl better than any dress could. And when she’d stammered an apology, and that blush spread across her freckled cheeks. Elsa smiled. It made her feel warm inside all over again, and that was a feeling she wanted to stay. Her hands skimmed the top of the steaming bath before dipping beneath to rest on the spot between her hips. It seemed that they found their way there on their own. She’d do whatever she had to do to keep the warmth spreading through her chest.


	7. Chapter 7

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”   
― Edith Sitwell

 

Anna was in awe as they entered the heart of the city. Buildings sprawled out in every direction, and jutted into the sky. They were nowhere near as tall and looming as the castle, but they were definitely bigger than the city’s buildings in Corona. The young red head was pressed to the side of the carriage at the window. She was grinning, and straining her neck to look at every structure they passed. Light snow had begun to fall from the greying sky, but the townsfolk didn’t seem to notice. They sauntered through the streets leisurely, smiling and chatting with their neighbors as they passed. Anna smiled as she watched kids run through piles of snow, and throw snowballs at each other. They reminded her of Kristoff’s younger siblings, and her heart swelled. 

 

The horse drawn carriage trudged deep into the center of the city, where a large frozen over fountain. A crowd of people spotted the carriage, and Anna watched as mothers began to call for their children. She frowned as the kids ran to their parents, and the family’s began to scatter, and leave the fountain square almost empty. The only few that remained were a handful of city guards and an older couple. 

 

Anna sat back as the carriage slowed to a halt. She was confused, and a little upset. She sighed, and stared down at her hands in her lap. 

 

“The townsfolk fear me,” Elsa’s voice was soft and matter of fact. No feeling. 

 

Anna looked up curiously.

 

‘Of course they do’ is what she wanted to say. Or, what her father would want her to say, but that didn’t feel right, so instead she smiled at the queen softly, and made a bold move. The young princess reached out slowly, and the queen watched her intently, but did not move. Anna placed a hand on top of the queen’s gloved hands, lightly, and only briefly, and said,

 

“They only fear you because they don’t know you”. 

 

Anna watched as the queen’s eyes widened a fraction, but she didn’t break the contact. Elsa cleared her throat and pulled her hands away slowly. Anna noticed her fingers shook lightly as she spoke,  
“Thank you, princess”. 

 

“Call me Anna,” she blurted, and then hastily pulled her hands back into her lap. 

 

The queen looked up, almost shyly, and gave a small smile, “thank you, Anna”. 

 

After they exited the carriage Elsa began to lead Anna out into the city. Anna followed silently as Elsa began to point out architectural features of every building and statue they came across. At one point they turned down onto a busy street, the guards cleared a way for the two to proceed. The people stared and whispered, but Elsa paid them no mind, she continued to give Anna the tour of her city. They approached another square, this one significantly smaller than that of the city heart, but in the center there stood a statue of a man. Elsa lead them to the foot of the stone, and Anna bent her head back as far as she could to get a good look at the sculpture. 

 

“This is my great grandfather, this statue sits here to commemorate his victory in the civil wars that wracked our country for years”.

 

Elsa spouted out a few more facts about her heritage, but Anna was barely listening at this point. She was watching a man in the crowded square as he wove through people. She didn’t quite know why this particular person caught her attention. He was a young man, about her age, with a pale face and blonde curls that hung over his forehead. She couldn’t see much more under the cover of his hood, or the thickness of the cloak he wore, but there was one thing she was sure of. He was staring straight at Elsa. Intently, and the feeling Anna got from the intensity of that stare was not a good one. 

 

Anna kept an eye on the stranger as he slunk to the back of the crowd and then completely out of sight. 

 

Elsa finished her story of a battle that took place where they stood, and then turned to her young companion. 

 

“Are you ready to continue on?” she asked. 

 

Anna slid her eyes back to the queen and put a smile on her face, ”yup”. 

 

By the time they rounded the next block of the city center Anna was shivering and huddled into her cloak. The city was much bigger than it looked from the shore, and even from the castle above. She didn’t know if she could handle the dense cold much longer, but she didn’t know how to broach the subject with someone who lived ice and snow. 

 

As if reading her mind, Elsa spoke up, “are you ready to see my favorite place in the city?”

 

Anna nodded into her cloak, and then buried her cold nose into the warm fabric. She thought she heard the queen chuckled, but she didn’t look up. They walked for a few more blocks, the guards had taken to walking behind them, giving the two a little breathing room as they moved deeper into the snow covered town. Before Anna knew if they came upon a large building. It rose gracefully into the sky and was adorned by three large stain-glassed windows. 

 

‘A church?’ Anna thought. Maybe she should have read up on Arendellie gods before she’d come. 

 

Anna was about to voice her confusion when the smell hit her. It was decadent and sweet, and just the way she remembered it. Her head popped up,  
“Chocolate?” 

 

Elsa did chuckle this time. She nodded and Anna grinned. She’d always loved chocolate, especially the high priced chocolate you could only get imported from places such as Arendelle. Unfortunately with the tension between their countries she hadn’t had the chance to have any in the last few years.

 

When they entered the building it was all Anna could do not to run around stuffing chocolate into her mouth. It was some sort of store, and the entire room was stuffed with Arendellie chocolates. She barely noticed the small elderly woman that came scrambling over to them until she was right next to her. 

 

“Hello your majesty!” the woman called. She hunched in an awkward bow and grinned her toothless grin at the queen. 

 

Elsa smiled back at the woman and began to introduce Anna. 

 

“This is princess Anna of Corona, she is to be my guest for a while, so i’d like to have her well stocked on your wonderful chocolates”. 

 

Anna looked at the small woman. She didn’t seem to fear Elsa at all, in fact, she seemed to really admire her queen. She wore the colors of Arendelle, and a small fluffed hat atop her greying head. 

 

“I am certainly honored, your majesty,” the woman then turned to Anna, “what would you like, your highness?”

 

Anna certainly hadn’t expected this to come from her morning out with the queen. She glanced at Elsa for help. 

 

“It is my gift, pick whatever you like,” said the queen. 

 

Anna nodded slowly, she didn’t want to take more from the queen, especially since she’d already given her so much. On the other hand, she did need to gain the queen’s trust, and what better way than to accept her gifts with cheer?

 

“I’ll take one of everything”. 

 

An hour later they were back in the castle, and servants were hustling to pull the piles of chocolate out of the carriage. Anna couldn’t be happier, well, maybe after a hot bath she’d say that. Her toes were numb but her mood was alive and cheerful. Elsa led the young woman back into the castle, and they were met by Ylva and Eleanor. 

 

“I do hope you enjoyed yourself Anna, I must attend to business. I hope to see you at dinner,” Elsa excused herself and left Anna in the care of her handmaidens. 

 

“Would you like a warm bath, your highness?” Eleanor asked her cheerfully. 

 

Anna smiled and nodded, she needed to regain the feeling in her limbs, and honestly, she needed some time alone to think about her morning with the queen. 

 

“We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.”   
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 

Anna spent the majority of her free afternoon exploring the castle with Cecil close behind. He had insisted on giving Anna the grand tour. So far they’d seen the kitchens, the grand library, the ball room, and the painting gallery. After about an hour of Cecil giving her his interpretation of art and history they made their way up a wide staircase decorated in lavish fabrics of dark blue and silver.   
They were entering the wing of the castle where the royal family dwelled. In other words, Elsa’s bedroom. 

 

She ignored the shiver that ran down her spine from the thought, and followed Cecil as he led her through a wide hallway full of painted members of the royal family. Painting after painting of young and old rulers, all dark haired and dark eyed. The only painting that hung at the end of the hall was that of Elsa, presumably on her coronation day, her white-golden hair was tied into its bun, and she stood painted alone. No husband, no children, no family. 

 

Anna had to look away from the painting. The sharp ache that pierced her chest was becoming too much. Cecil failed to notice her distress, instead he sauntered up to her and grinned at the painting, 

 

“Our queen is simply wonderful, don’t you think?” 

 

Anna wasn’t sure if he was really asking for a response, but she nodded anyway. She didn’t trust herself to speak. Who knew what she would say after the morning she had. Cecil continued without a breath, 

 

“And beautiful. Whoever ends up with her will be a lucky one. It is a shame though, “ his tone was suddenly serious, and Anna was genuinely curious of what he’d say next, but he never continued.   
Cecil turned to her and grinned, completely ignoring the fact that he hadn’t finished his thought, and began to lead her down the hall once more. 

 

“This is the queen’s study,” he motioned into a large room as they passed. 

 

Anna peeked through the open door, a little scared she’d see the queen, but all she witnessed was an empty room. The walls were covered in books and parchment, and curved around a large wooden desk in the middle of the room. They walked towards the end of the long hall, passing several rooms as they went. She wondered what each held, but thought against asking. 

 

“And this, “ Cecil motioned at a closed door at the end of the hall, “is the Queen’s quarters”. 

 

He smiled and playfully tapped a foot on the floor,   
“Fun fact, we are directly above your room!” 

 

Anna forced a chuckle. She wasn’t sure how that was a fun fact, but she put it in the back of her mind just in case. 

 

By the time Cecil finished showing her around the castle she had to rush to get ready for dinner. She cleaned herself and dressed in a thick blue tunic. She made sure to brush out her hair as much as she could before braiding back into its usual fashion. Just as she was finishing up Ylva came to fetch her. 

 

This time around Anna lacked the nerves that had crept up on her the night before. She sat herself next to the queen, and once again was bombarded as servants rushed to bring in bowls of hearty venison and vegetable stew. There was an extra plate, however, that sat just in front of the princess. There sat a tower of chocolate from the morning’s outing. Anna looked over at Elsa, and the queen just shrugged her delicate shoulders. 

 

“I thought you’d enjoy a little desert,” she stated simply, and then proceeded to eat silently. 

 

Anna stared at the pile of chocolates for a moment, and then glanced around the empty room. Why hadn’t she realized it before? The queen was lonely, that’s why she had been so giving. She was alone, she ate alone, ruled alone, and slept alone. It only made sense. 

 

“Thank you,” Elsa looked up as Anna spoke, she arched a perfect brow as the young woman continued, “I don’t know if I said it before, but thank you for everything that you have done to make me feel welcome. It means a lot”.

 

Why were there tears in her eyes? 

 

‘Don’t you dare cry!’ her mind was screaming at her, but she soon felt the hot tears start to stream down her cheeks. 

 

Just imagining being alone, or losing her father, her family, was too much for the princess. She clenched her hand into a fist, and used her left one to angrily wipe at the wetness on her cheeks. Just as she was about to excuse herself she felt something touch her fisted hand that rested on the table. Anna looked up, and into the dark eyes of the queen. Elsa had a gloved hand placed delicately, almost nervously, atop hers. Sparks shot through her chest, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull away, or even look away from the mesmerizing sapphire orbs that bore into hers. 

 

“You are welcome here Anna, do not think differently”, it was obvious Elsa was not used to consoling people. In fact, she looked like she was straining to do so, but the action was still appreciated. 

 

Anna nodded and wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, only then did Elsa pull her hand away. Anna sniffled once more and then reached for the chocolates, she knew that chocolate before dinner was a big no no, but she needed the pick-me-up. Elsa didn’t say a word as she munched on the delicate treats. 

 

By the time Anna reached her room she was exhausted. She and Elsa had sat and talked for more than an hour after their dinner had ended. Elsa told stories of her family history, and then asked Anna about hers. Anna in turn told stories of Kristoff and Sven, and had even succeeded in making the queen laugh once. 

 

When she reached her room she stripped and changed into her usual sleeping clothes. She was ready to climb back into the warmth and comfort of her bed, but something kept her just a bit longer. As she pulled the thick furs back to make room she glanced out at the dark sky, and caught a flash of movement. 

 

Curiosity drove her to the window. Anna squinted through the glass, and out into the dark snowy night. She could have swore she saw something, but it must have been a bird, or a bat. 

 

She was about to turn to get into her bed, when her eye caught movement once more, this time it was closer. There was a shadow at the edge of her window, and it was moving up the outer castle wall. 

 

‘A person!?’ Anna thought.   
And then it hit her. Elsa’s room was just above hers. Whoever was scaling the castle wall was headed to the queen’s suite. 

 

Before she knew what she was doing she was out her door and running. She was barefoot, and the stone floor of the castle was freezing, but she ignored the throb as she took the stairs two at a time. She stumbled around the turn, but sprinted until she reached the end of the hall. 

 

‘Where are all the damn guards when you need them?!’

 

As quietly as she could, Anna pressed her ear against the door. Elsa had to be asleep by now, there were no sounds other than her soft breathing. That was, until Anna heard the window begin to open. She had to time this just right. 

 

Anna strained her ears, she didn’t want to miss her opportunity. She heard the intruder’s feet hit the ground, and she was off. She used her inhuman strength to bust through the door, and then hurled her body into his. They hit the floor hard, but he wasn’t going to give up that easily. He pulled at her shirt, and pushed his knees into her ribs with as much force as he could. She wasn’t going to let him go that easily however. Anna pulled a fist back and launched a punch. He was lucky enough to struggle to the side, and dodge the blow that crumpled into the stone beneath them. 

 

The crash was enough to wake the queen this time. She hopped out of her bed and gasped,  
“Anna!? What is going on here!?” she demanded. 

 

Anna had no time to answer her, the man was still struggling. He had an arm pulled free from the princess, and used to opportunity to swing a fist into her nose. The blow drew a gush of blood, but Anna was determined, if she couldn’t punch his lights out, she only had one option. She pulled the man’s arms against his chest, reared back, and then slammed her forehead into his. Stars erupted behind her eyes, but the man was out cold. He slumped against the floor, allowing the princess to fall away and hold her nose in agony. 

 

Elsa came rushing to Anna’s side, she was confused and calling for guards,  
“What the hell happened here?” 

 

Anna held onto her probably broken nose as she sat up, her head spun, but she managed to breathe through the pain to answer the queen,  
“I saw him climbing, I had to do something”. 

 

“You could have gotten yourself killed!” Elsa shouted angrily. 

 

Anna was barely conscious at this point, but she shrugged, and wobbled as her nose gushed onto the floor. Finally the guards clambered into the room, but by now Anna could feel the affects of that headbutt, she was going to pass out, but there was one last thing she had to do. With the last bit of consciousness she had, she turned and pulled the hood away from the intruder’s head. There, under the blood, was the same man from earlier in the day. His blonde curls were matted with blood and sweat. Anna just hoped she would remember that as her mind faded into darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”   
― Eleanor Roosevelt

 

The queen had amazingly delicate shoulders. Her night dress hung loosely off of them, exposing a large expanse of beautifully soft skin. Her arms were bare, and beautifully slender, but not sickly thin. Anna had realized that Elsa was beautiful before, but this was something different, new, and more intense. The way she held her clenched hands to her chest, it was from fear and worry, but all Anna could think was that her long fingers were exquisite. 

 

Was that the first time she’d seen the queen without gloves? 

 

It didn’t matter. Anna could look at queen Elsa forever, but the bright light shining into her eyes was blurring her vision, and annoying the hell out of her. She wanted the light to go away, she just wanted to admire Elsa a little bit longer. The more she struggled to squint against the blinding light the brighter it became.

 

It took Anna a moment to realize she had been dreaming, but now she was awake, and lying in a brightly lit room that she recognized as her room in Arendelle. Her head throbbed and her nose felt as if it were ten sizes bigger. She groaned and pulled herself into a sitting position. It took only seconds to alert the other person in the room with her. 

 

Eleanor was at her side in an instant. She was willing the young princess to lie back as she pressed a cool wrap to Anna’s throbbing head. Anna mumbled her thanks, and Eleanor nodded before turning to yell at Ylva stationed against the door frame. 

 

“Inform her majesty!”

 

Ylva was out of sight a moment later. Anna held her head in her hands. She was struggling to remember what had happened to her. The last thing she remembered was someone climbing, and then her dream of the queen. Her cheeks heated a degree. Had she really dreamt of Elsa that way? She must have hit her head. That would explain the pain, the memory loss, and the racy dream. 

 

She had little time to think about it, however, because three people came rushing into the room just then. Cecil, Queen Elsa, and a heavily armed man came to her bed side. When Anna caught Elsa’s eye her heart clenched in her chest, the memories of her dream rushing back into her throbbing skull. The queen didn’t notice, she and Cecil were next to the princess now, and asking her more questions than she could ever answer. 

 

Anna groaned and held her head, and the chatter died instantly. Elsa waved a hand at the others, and then they were alone. The Queen approached her slowly. She looked like a small child, scared of what would come next. Elsa pulled the chair next to Anna’s bed closer, and gracefully sat herself in it’s seat. She no longer wore a night dress, she was back to her high collar and long sleeves. 

 

Anna tried not to be disappointed. 

 

Elsa sat silently with her hands, covered once more in long gloves, on her lap. She had her eyes cast down.

 

“What happened?” Anna asked. 

 

Elsa looked up briefly, and then cast her dark eyes to the side,

 

“A man tried to assassinate me tonight, but you stopped him”. 

 

As soon as she said the words the memories came rushing back. The man climbing the castle wall, Anna running to the Queen’s side, and finally head butting the man into submission. That explained the painful wake up. Why did Elsa look so distraught then? She’d been saved. Even though that was the last thing Anna should have ever done. She was sent here to kill the queen, not to save her from death. She’d simply acted on instinct. 

 

Anna was about to mouth her concern when Elsa began to speak quietly. The words that came next had the red head’s heart pounding violently. 

 

“Thank you, Anna. You are the only person, not obligated by the throne, that would willingly risk their life for mine. I truly do not deserve it,” the queen’s voice was small, and her eyes were cast down once more. 

 

The windows creaked and groaned in the silence that followed. The wind outside had picked up, and the room felt colder than ever. Snow pelted against the glass at an alarming rate. She realized that it was Elsa’s doing, her emotion drove the patterns of the winter. 

 

There was nothing Anna could say. She herself didn’t know why she saved the queen. There was only one thing she could think to do. 

 

‘I hope I don’t regret this’ she thought. 

 

She pulled herself to the edge of the bed. Her legs felt numb, probably an after effect of passing out, but she pushed them to listen. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears, but she was determined, and already halfway there. No turning back now. She leaned in, wrapped her arms around the queen’s delicate shoulders, and squeezed gently. 

 

Elsa seemed frozen by the hug, and Anna was hoping she hadn’t stepped over some unspoken boundary. Or that the queen decided that she had crossed the line enough to become a new frozen decoration in the courtyard. 

 

‘None of that is true. You should know by now’ well that’s new. Usually her mind was the one telling her all the bad things she knew of Elsa from home were true. Three days with a person can really change your opinion of them. 

 

As soon as Anna began to pull herself away she felt Elsa’s hands grip her. It wasn’t a rough hold, or menacing, but just enough to tell Anna that Elsa didn’t want her to let go. At least not yet. They sat like that until Anna could no longer hold her wobbling legs still. Elsa let her sit back on her bed. The queen was stone faced, and Anna wasn’t sure if her hug had helped or not. Elsa stood and looked down at the young princess,

 

“We will discuss this more tomorrow. For now, I want you to rest. Goodnight, Anna,” and then she was alone once more. 

 

Anna sighed into the empty air. Once Elsa left the cold had evaporated, leaving the soft warmth of her fire to lull her to sleep. 

 

“Reinette: One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel.”   
― Steven Moffat

 

Queen Elsa descended the ancient cobbled staircase. She’d only had to make this trip in her life once before, but never had she had to confront a man who had tried to take her life. She was headed deep into an primordial part of the castle that held the dungeons. They had remained empty for a total of 15 years, but now they housed a single guest. 

 

As she approached the guards on duty she saw him. He was sitting in the corner of a dark cell with his head down and his body pulled into a tight curl, but when she entered the room he hopped to his feet and scowled. His face was dark and angry, and still covered in Anna’s blood. 

 

‘Anna’s blood’ 

 

The thought drifted into her mind. Like a soft whisper that had her insides churning angrily. 

There was no denying it now. She was attached to the princess, and her falling to harm because of this man had her on edge. More than she had been in a long while. She knew what would happen if she lost control of the darkness that now swirled inside of her chest, but she couldn’t bring herself to care at the moment. 

 

“You’re a monster! You should be dead right now!” he was screaming at her. His voice was rough, and his accent was that of a land unfamiliar to her, “you’re lucky your little pet was here to save you. You won’t be so lucky next time!” 

 

Elsa fixed this man with a hard look, he was irritating, yes, but she knew better than to give into his threats. She waved a hand to dismiss the guards. They exchanged looks, but did not question their queen. They left the two alone in the quiet depths of the castle. 

 

The man sneered, his green eyes lit up, as if that was exactly what he wanted her to do. She promised herself that he would regret the thought. 

 

“What’s this?, have I hit a soft spot in that frozen heart of yours?” he grinned eerily, “ is that little pet of yours more than that?” 

 

Elsa didn’t respond, she simply stepped closer to the cell, so that they were a few feet apart, but still out of reach of one another. 

 

“Maybe I’ll pay her a visit after we separate your head from your body,” he licked his lips and snickered. 

 

That had her heart beating harder. It was strange, and terrifying. The feelings that pulsed through her body from those words. Elsa stepped closer to the cell door, and pulled out a key to open it. He grinned once more, and gripped the bars with both hands. She could feel the darkness rising as she pulled the doors opened, but she couldn’t stop her body now. There was no stopping what was about to happen. 

 

As soon as the doors opened he lunged at her, but she was much faster. She gripped the man by the throat and lifted him into the air. He clawed at her wrist, and kicked his legs wildly. He was cursing her and swearing that he’d be her end, but when he met her gaze his attitude changed completely. He began to tremble, and struggle more than before, but her grip was too strong. 

 

“P-please. I’ll tell you anything you want, please!” His voice cracked as he screamed and tears began to flow down his cheeks. 

 

Elsa didn’t want to hear anything from him. All she could think about was the way Anna’s face looked, and the way the man grinned when talking about paying her a visit. It heated her blood, but not in the same way Anna did. This was a darker feeling, and it ignited something deep inside of her. Something she tried to keep hidden, but was failing at doing in that moment. She tightened her grip on his throat, her nails dug into the fabric of her gloves, and ice began to spread up to his ears. He screamed and kicked his legs more fiercely than before. 

 

It felt good to hear him scream. It felt good to let the darkness lurking inside of her out like this. So good that it terrified her. She was enjoying his pain, and the feeling of his throat being crushed in her palm. This wasn’t her, and she knew it. She released her grip. He crumpled to the floor coughing, and scurried into the corner of the cell. Elsa flexed her hand absently as she addressed the man,

 

“You will tell the guards everything you know, or I will return”. There was no need to threaten more, she knew he would not dare argue after that. 

 

He was nodding and tears streamed down his face. She pushed the cell doors closed and locked them once more.

 

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”   
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables

 

Things had gone too far. Elsa hurried down the empty halls of the castle. She had to get back to her room before something terrible could happen. She’d let too much go, lost too much of her control on the power inside of her, and now she could feel it churning dangerously in her gut. She curled into herself in a desperate attempt to push the growing darkness back, and made the trip to her bedroom as quick as she could. 

 

As soon as she entered the room she shut and locked the door, before slumping to the floor with her back against it. The skin between her shoulderblades sparked and burned, but she ignored it as ice began to creep out from underneath her. The floorboards cracked and heaved under the weight of the ice, and soon there wasn’t an inch left in the room that wasn’t covered in a thick sheen. Elsa curled into herself once more, and focused on slowing her breathing. It was not often that she lost control, but when she did, bad things had happened. She couldn’t let herself go like that anymore. Especially not with Anna so close.

 

‘Anna’

 

Just the thought of the princess had the ice receding, and once again Elsa couldn’t believe what the young woman could do to her without even being present. It was like she was the exact opposite of the queen herself. Cheerful and bright, like the sun with her warmth, and the only thing that could drive away the chill of winter. Maybe that was why Elsa had become so attracted to the young woman. The two were bound for one another, in some world, in some way, they were meant to meet. 

 

Elsa found herself calm once more. She continued her thoughts of Anna, they filled her with warmth and happiness, and it was in that moment that Queen Elsa knew.  
She was going to court the princess.


End file.
